Friday, May 16, 2025
According to Stora Enso, new laws are imminent, and the packaging sector is scrambling to discover environmentally friendly solutions without sacrificing performance or protective properties. Businesses across all industries that depend on packaging deal with pressing and difficult issues. Plastic prices, prohibitions, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), and the urgent need to lower carbon emissions are driving significant change. Legislation is catching up, and the time for disruptive change is here.
There will be new laws
Moving away from materials derived from fossil fuels is now required. With laws accelerating in all marketplaces, it is now required. This is what will happen:
The carbon impact of transportation is well recognised by businesses that package and ship goods. It’s becoming imperative for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint at every stage of the value chain, including packaging. As a result, there is a growing need for materials that are not only more environmentally friendly but also highly effective and protective.
“As plastic taxes, bans, and extended producer responsibility fees rise, the need for viable alternatives will only grow, both from producers and consumers. Companies that aren’t proactive risk higher costs and increased administrative burdens,” notes Juulia Kuhlman, Business Development Director, Wood foam at Stora Enso.
High-performing sustainable alternatives
With decades of research and development on how to phase out fossil fuels and discover a sustainable substitute that doesn’t sacrifice quality or performance, the team at Stora Enso is leading the way in biomaterials innovation. They have discovered that the answer is sprouting everywhere—in plain sight! And they take pleasure in demonstrating the power of trees to others. It’s a terrific step if you’re currently using recycled products. However, there are even more effective tactics to think about.
“The implementation of PPWR will drive a strong move towards recycled content within the EU. However, limited supply in the secondary market means demand — and prices — will inevitably rise,” states Juulia Kuhlman, Business Development Director, Wood foam at Stora Enso. By providing high-performing, more environmentally friendly substitutes, Stora Enso’s innovations in renewable packaging are aiding in the phase-out of expanded polystyrene (EPS), a plastic that is notoriously difficult to recycle, which comes from fossil fuels.
Polymer foam can be replaced by wood foam
Stora Enso Wood foam, a recyclable substitute made from forests under sustainable management, is sustainably revolutionising protective packaging. Both stiff and flexible variants are available, and fabrication is simple. Fibrease is lightweight, flexible, and bio-based wood foam. Fibrease, which is recyclable, has memory foam-like qualities and thermal insulation, making it a suitable substitute for fossil polymer foams in protective packaging.
Papira is a wood-based, semi-rigid foam that is derived from sustainable resources. The foam is plastic-free, biodegradable, and recyclable with paper and board everywhere in the world. Papira, which is now manufactured at Stora Enso’s pilot facility, has outstanding cushioning performance and is perfect for protective packaging. It provides a sustainable substitute for conventional plastic foams, cutting down on plastic waste and assisting businesses in adhering to future rules.
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